Wis. Recall Election Pushes Labor to the Brink

By Beth Reinhard

Not since President Reagan faced off against air-traffic controllers in 1981 and President Clinton pushed NAFTA in 1993 has labor faced a test as big as the June 5 gubernatorial recall election in Wisconsin.

This statewide election has gone national, culminating in a multimillion-dollar showdown pitting public-sector unions and their Democratic allies against Republican Gov. Scott Walker and conservative special interests. The recall, triggered by Walker's crackdown last year on collective-bargaining rights for most state employees, will help set the stage for the 2012 election. Momentum appears to be in the GOP's favor.